Still of the opening from Zombieland:
Still from our film opening:
1-Titles
The film 'Zombieland' opens on the production company logo which is animated and very visually interesting.
For our film 'Kosto' I have done something similar to this as we have a motion graphic for our production company 'Klemo Entertainment' appears at the start where the background is animated and our text fades in over the top.
2-Music/Sound
In the film 'Zombieland' at the start of the opening sequence we are greeted with a video of a burning car and we can diegetic hear the sound of the fire and someone breathing. The sound of a zombie can also be heard. There is a (non-diegetic) music soundtrack (Metallica for whom the bell tolls) playing over the title sequence. This track plays for the rest of the opening until we see the 'ZombieLand' title at the end.
For our film 'Kosto' I have done something similar to this as we have the same soundtrack (the last of us -theme song piano cover) for the opening sequence until we see the 'Directed by Liam Clements) where the track fades out.
Adding a soundtrack over the title sequence is very effective in zombie films as it can help set the pace of the film and build an atmosphere which is one reason we followed the traditional convention as it allowed us to keep a sense of mystery and the audience hooked to want to watch more.
3-Setting/Location
Straight away in the film 'Zombieland' we understand that the film is set in America as we see the Capitol building in the background and many people are familiar with that building being in Washington DC.
We decided to subvert away from traditional zombie film conventions where the film is set in America, and rather than showing what country our film 'Kosto' is set in, we decided just to show what the surrounding area is like (run down abandoned building, dead tree, and boarded up windows) and give the audience subtle clues on what has happened as this leaves them guessing and makes them want to watch more.
4-Characterisation/Representation
In 'Zombieland' we are never actually introduced to the main character! We as the audience can hear the main character's voice narrating over his 'rules' on how to survive in the zombieland but throughout the whole opening and title sequence the audience does not see who the narrator is. This can also be seen in other zombie films like 'World war Z' where we do not see the main character until after the title sequence.
in our film 'Kosto' we have subverted from this traditional convention and introduced the main character within the first opening shot whilst the titles are appearing. Within the opening sequence we see the character getting ready and is seen placing a bandage over a wound, this is to support the idea that the main character is a strong fighter (Mentally) and will not give up easy.
5-Camerawork
In the film 'ZombieLand' the use of wide angles and establishing shots is very effective as the audience feels immersed in the film world. This convention can also be seen in the openings of other zombie films such as 'World War Z'.
Just like 'ZombieLand' and 'World War Z' we also followed the convention of wide angle camera shots and various establishing shots of the surroundings. in return we feel this will help keep the audience immersed in our film world and therefore make them want to continue to watch our film.
6-Costumes/Props
In many zombie movies, costumes and props play an important part in setting the atmosphere and actually tend to be quite minimalist or simple as the characters are in survival situations.
In the opening of 'ZombieLand' costumes aren't really seen as a big indicator of a zombie film as many of the main characters are in ordinary clean clothes however the zombies can be clearly identified and seen as zombies du8e to the costumes and makeup.
The props in 'ZombieLand' can be seen but are quite unconventional (apart from the gun of course) as many things happening in the opening sequence symbolise anarchy like cars blowing up and cars crashing but many people are either empty handed or wielding a gun (which in America is quite common)
However in our film 'Kosto' our main protagonist can be seen in walking shoes, a pair of jeans, a plaid shirt and a bandage on his arm. This is a very conventional outfit for the typical survivalist and can be seen in films like 'ZombieLand', 'World War Z' and can even be seen in cross media platforms such as the video game 'The Last of Us'.
The props in our film are a bit more conventional for a zombie film as our main character can be seen with a gun (that he places in an easily accessible place for quick access) and a hunting knife for close range. to follow conventions even more we could have added a baseball bat (Maybe with nails in the end) but in many zombie films the baseball bat can be seen as a burden as it easily breaks and is heavier to carry.
7-Genre
The genre for 'ZombieLand' is Horror/Comedy and the audience can see this by the way the narrator speaks when talking about his 'rules' this is also supported by comedic video in the background on what happend when you don't follow the rules.
Our film 'Kosto' is a Thriller/Drama like 'World War Z' and we portray this by the costume and location shots along with the overcast sky, the use of various props such as tin cans (which follow the 'survivalist' theme) and the music builds the atmosphere and helps make the theme of it being a Thriller/Drama.
8-Story 'setup'
In the film Zombieland the plot is set up with the anarchy of the zombies eating and chasing humans, this is very conventional and can also be seen in other zombie films like 'World War Z' where we can hear news bulletins over the title sequence. To back the story line of 'Zombieland' up a voice over of the main character is telling the audience about how his 'rules' and what not to do when living in what he calls 'zombieland'.
In our film we decided to not have a voice over of the main character and instead built up the fundamental storyline through the use of establishing shots and the main shot of the picture of the girl held in with a knife. we believe this makes the audience want to watch the rest of the film to see who the person is. However we used the conventional news bulletins at the end of our title sequence to support our storyline of a zombie outbreak.
9-Editing/effects
In 'ZombieLand' there are a lot of special effects, one of the effects used is a superimposed muzzle flash that symbolise a gun being fired.
In our film 'Kosto' we also superimposed as muzzle flash to help create the same effect of a gun being fired .
'ZombieLand' also uses the effect of tacking titles and interactive titles where the title moves or smashes according to what has just happened in the film world, this immerses the audience in the film.
Our titles in 'Kosto' are placed in post-production but do not track anything or a character but instead the actor names and crew are seen on screen in white text , the directors title screen is after the 'Kosto' title and is seen by a straight cut to a black screen where the text is in white. this may not be seen as a conventional title for this style film but in context it works fluidly and helps give the idea of time passing in the film world as many of the shots are straight jump cuts to a different scene where the main protagonist is doing something different.